Abramovich puts Chelsea up for sale, hopes to get offers by Friday
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich released a statement on Wednesday saying he was ready to sell the club.
“In the current situation, I have taken a decision to sell Chelsea as I believe this is in the best interest of the club, the fans, the employees, the club’s sponsors and partners,” he said.
Abramovich has owned Chelsea since 2003 and is reportedly looking to sell the club for at least US$2.5 billion (THB81.4 billion).
He made it clear that he would not ask for any loans to be repaid.
Abramovich also instructed the Chelsea team to set up a charitable foundation in which all net proceeds would be donated for the benefit of victims of the war in Ukraine.
He has reportedly met with Raine Group, a New York advisory firm, in recent days to find a new owner. He has set a deadline of Friday to get offers from anyone interested.
On Saturday, Abramovich said he was ceding ownership of the club to members of its charitable foundation.
He said in a statement that they were “in the best position to look after the interests of the club, players, staff and fans” and did not mention a potential sale.
Both moves came in the wake of sanctions levied against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. The UK has proposed legislation targeting wealthy Russians like Abramovich, because he has a “long-standing relationship” with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
